Booming Centrica to create 1500 jobs

But the company refused to confirm it is going ahead with its £3billion part-acquisition of nuclear power company British Energy.

Announcing near-record profits of £1.9billion, British Gas group Centrica said it plans to plough back on average £1.4billion a year over the next 11 years constructing power stations, wind farms and gas-storage facilities.

On fire: Centrica has announced near-record profits

It expects to spend £3billion on new gas-storage installations to secure supplies during the high-demand winter months. It said it will spend £1.2billion on a major new storage facility in the spent Baird gas field off the coast of East Anglia.

Another £5billion will be spent buying gas-producing assets in the North Sea and off Norway and on securing liquefied natural gas supplies from overseas.

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The new workers, including 1000 apprentices, will be used to implement energy-saving services in the home and in business, and in building wind farms off the east coast of England.

Of the plan to buy 25 per cent of British Energy from EDF, Centrica chief executive Sam Laidlaw said: 'We have said all along that we would only recommend a deal that would be in the best interests of our shareholders. We are still in discussions.'